4. Start of each game

1. Preparation period

Each player must be allowed a time of 15 minutes to prepare himself for the game. It is advisable to have silence in the playing hall during this time, lest the players are distracted. Those who wish to prepare beforehand, should be able to do so.

2. Photographs, television

During the preparation period and for a maximum of 10 minutes into the official game time, flash photography is permitted.

An official television company may receive permission to operate, under the following conditions:

• The equipment should be in place before the start of the game;

• This should be done in such a way to generate a minimum amount of disturbance;

• No player should be in a critical phase of a game;

• The filming should be as short as possible.

3. The referee must assign each player his place. No change of place is permitted.

4. Start of the game

At the indicated hour, whether the players are present or not, the referee must give the sign to start the games by starting the clocks of those players having the white pieces; in case the black player is absent, his clock will be put into motion. From that moment on, both players are not allowed to stop both clocks, with loss of the game as a sanction, nor can they put the game clock at the other side of the board, or change the position of the hands of the clock.

If a player arrives late by no fault of his own, the referee may restore the hands of his clock to the starting position.

5. Start of the game when both players are late.

When two players of one board are both absent, the referee starts the clock of the player with the white pieces. If one of the two players arrives, the referee divides the time passed equally between the two clocks, and then restarts the white clock; in case the black player is still absent, his clock will be put into motion; at his arrival, the referee puts the white clock into motion..

6. Error in colours.

If after the start of a game it is discovered that the players have played with the wrong colours the game must continue. The result of the game stands.

5. Towards the result of the game.

5.1. (Reserved)

5.2. coming too late for a game

A player may not come at his board too late. If he comes at his board too late his game will be declared lost for him. The special regulations of a tournament will define what is too late.

These regulations may specify a delay time from 0 minutes to 60 minutes.

If the time is not specified then this is 60 minutes.

The Special Regulations of a tournament will mention the consequences for a player coming too late at his draughts board if the delay time is less than 60 minutes. These may be:

1. An official warning

2. A fine for the player coming too late

3. Direct loss of the game

4. Other penalties to be decided by the direction of the tournament.

If the delay time is 60 minutes a player who comes too late directly looses the game.

5.3. Proposal for a draw

Before a proposal for a draw can be made, at least 40 moves must have been made by each player. A player wishing to propose a draw has to do so in his own clock time, by performing the following three operations immediately one after the other:

1. Make his move

2. Propose a draw, without giving a comment;

3. Put his opponent’s clock in motion.

The proposal remains valid as long as the opponent has not answered; making a move implies a negative answer. After having received a negative answer, the same player should not repeat his proposal before his opponent has made a similar proposal.

5.4. Equal end game

In order to establish a regulatory draw in an end game, the referee has to be called.

The referee may also decide about a regulatory draw on his own initiative without any claim of the player. When he remarks that there is a regulatory draw situation it is his duty to end the game.

5.5. Protests

All protests about anomalies, incorrect actions or irregularities have to be addressed to the referee.

5.6. Game points

In a competition points are allotted to each game result:

5.6.1. 2 points are allotted for a win

5.6.2. 1 point is allotted for a draw;

5.6.3. 0 points are allotted for a loss.

5.7. Forfeiting result

When a player is absent, or when he cannot play the scheduled game for whatever reason, his scheduled opponent receives 2 forfeit points.

The same holds for a player who is more than ONE hour late at his board.

5.8. Forfeiting result for two players

When two players are absent or unable to play the game scheduled between the two of them for whatever reason, the result of that game will be zero – zero.

5.9. Withdrawing from the competition

When a player withdraws from the competition, for whatever reason, he proceeds as follows:

1. In a round robin tournament:

1. If he has not played more than half of the scheduled games, his results on the final table are cancelled and he will not be classified;

2. If he has played more than half of the games, his results will remain on the final table and he will be classified. The non-played games will be considered forfeit losses, and indicated as “0F” and “2F” on the final tournament table.

2. In a Swiss tournament:

The results of a player who has withdrawn will stand and he will be classified according to the games he played.

5.10 Final classification and tie breaking

At the end of the competition, a classification is drawn up by adding up the points each of the competitors has obtained. The first place is given to the player who has the largest number of points, the other places are given in descending order.

The special regulations of the tournament have to mention what will happen if players end with the same score. This may be done by making use of the tie breaking decisions of article 5.11 and / or using tie breaking games to come to a decision.

Tie breaking games may be normal games, rapid or blitz games, depending on the type of competition.

A special form of a tie breaking game is the Lehmann-Georgiev tie break: both players get a limited time for an unlimited number of games plus some seconds extra for each move with the use of the electronic clock and the Fischer system.

Such a Lehmann-Georgiev tie breaking game is played until one of the players wins a game or until the time of one of the players is expired as marked by the falling of the flag or the special signal on the electronic clock. When a game is ended in a draw a next game starts with the remaining time on the clock for both players.

5.11. Tie breaking decisions

5.11.1 Individual competitions

5.11.1.1. Tie breaking: in normal games or rapid games (see Annex VI) according to the rules laid down in the particular regulations of that competition.

5.11.1.2. If no special regulations have been decided the following criteria must be applied in the following order:

5.11.1.2.1. For round robin tournaments:

• 1 the largest number of victories

• 2 the result between the tied players

• 3 the best result obtained in the order of the classification.

2. For Swiss System tournaments on rating (5.11.1.2.2a) or on Solkoff (5.11.1.2,2b):

5.11.1.2.2a on rating

• 1. The highest average rating of the opponents

5.11.1.2.2b on Solkoff

• 1 Median Solkoff: the largest total score of opponents played, not counting the strongest and the weakest score

• 2 Truncated Solkoff: the largest total score of opponents played, not counting the weakest, if needed the second weakest etc.

5.11.2. Team competitions

5.11.2.1 Tie breaking: as above for the individual competitions

5.11.2.2. If no previous agreement has been made, the following criteria must be applied in the following order:

5.11.2.2.1. For round robin tournaments:

• 1 The largest number of individual points

• 2 The largest number of points at the first board, if needed at the second etc.

5.11.2.2.2. For Swiss system tournaments:

as above for individual competitions in Swiss system (article 5.11.1.2.2.)